People: Judge refuses to throw out defamation suit against Cosby
A defamation lawsuit brought against Bill Cosby by three women who say he sexually abused them decades ago can move forward, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Friday, delivering a legal blow to the comedian as he attempts to defend himself against accusations of sexual assault by dozens of women.
The women claim in their lawsuit that Cosby’s representatives damaged their reputations by denying their allegations in sometimes disparaging language. Cosby’s lawyers had asked the judge to dismiss their suit, arguing that the remarks were personal opinions protected by the First Amendment and legal declarations made in his defense.
But in his ruling Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni rejected Cosby’s bid to dismiss the case before it goes to a jury. The women – Tamara Green, Therese Serignese and Linda Traitz – have accused Cosby of drugging them and then having unwanted sexual contact with them.
“Dateline NBC” aired a special Friday night in which 29 Cosby accusers were interviewed together about their allegations. Cosby has never been charged with a crime and he has denied the allegations.
Cosby was deposed Friday in a Los Angeles case against him. Lawyer Gloria Allred, the defendant’s lawyer in that case, said she would speak on the deposition Saturday in Boston. A third lawsuit is also pending in Los Angeles.
LaBeouf booked, released in Austin
Actor Shia LaBeouf has been arrested and charged with public intoxication after an incident in Austin, Texas.
Jail records show LaBeouf was booked Friday night into the Travis County Jail and released on his own recognizance.
He was arrested in the city’s Sixth Street entertainment district. The Austin City Limits music festival is taking place there through Sunday.
Police did not respond to a request from the Associated Press for additional details.
Hip-hop world featured in series
Rappers Snoop Dogg and Birdman, Grammy-winning producer Jermaine Dupri and entrepreneur Damon Dash are among the stars of a still-untitled BET reality series, the network announced Friday.
The show, which is set to start shooting in Los Angeles in November for release in late 2016, will go inside their lives and their companies over eight episodes, investigating how they balance the professional and the personal at the top of the hip-hop world.
Snoop had a short-lived reality series on the E! channel called “Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood” in 2007-08.
The birthday bunch
Actor Peter Coyote is 74. Entertainer Ben Vereen is 69. Singer John Prine is 69. Actor Charles Dance is 69. Rock singer David Lee Roth is 61. Country singer Tanya Tucker is 57. Actress Julia Sweeney is 56. Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre is 46. Actress Wendi McLendon-Covey is 46. Race driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 41.